Sliding gate.



No. 655 ml. Patented] I I9 A. MASON. u y

SLIDING GATE.

(Application filed Sept. 2, 1899.)

2 Shani-Shae! I,

(No Model.)

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No. s55,|oi. Patented .Iuly 3|, I900;

A. mAsou.

SLIDING GATE.

(Application filed Sept. 2, 1899.) v (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shack 2.

UNITED STAT S- PATENT Grinch.

ALEXANDER MASON, or roar MADISON, rown.

SLIDING oAT.

srnormonrxon Crai are of Letters Patent No. 655,101, dated my 31, 1900'.

7 Application filed September 2,1899. Serial No. 729 ,281. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Madison, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding Gates; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to lever-operated sliding gates for farm and other uses; and its object is to produce agate exceedingly simple in operation, that will consist of the fewest number of working parts, and that will by locking itself automatically withstand the efforts of horned cattle and animals generally to open it.

To accomplish the object stated, I employ twin upright center posts, main levers suitably fulcrumed in a frame supported by the center posts, the travel of the inner ends of the levers being limited by the slots, and a gate sliding between the posts and operated by an arm possessing pivotal connections with the inner ends of the main levers and with the gate proper.

Each constituent element of my invention is described in detail, and its individual oftice, together with the mode of operation as a whole, fully explained hereinbelow.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the invention in its complete form. Fig. 2 represents an end View from the rightl1and side, the fencepost and sliding gate being omitted. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the gate proper, showing the arrangement of the slats with respect to the battens and braces. Fig. 4: represents a horizontal section of the fencepost against which the gate closes, showing the guiding-brackets to bring the gate portion into its correct closed position during the existence of lateral wind-pressure.

Like numerals designate the same parts throughout.

Considering the drawings, numerals 1 and 2 mark the main or twin center posts, each of which has a longitudinal slot near its 11 3- per extremity. The slots are open directly opposite each other at right angles to the ver: tical plane of the gate portion proper. The slotsare designated by numerals 3 and 4. Upon opposite sides of the posts and extend: ing horizontally across the aforesaid plane are secured cross-pieces 5 and 6, held rigid by inclined braces 7 and 8 on the near side, and 9 and 10 on the far side, of the posts, as shown in Fig. 1. Near the ends of the crosspieces are bolts 11 and 12, which constitute the pivots for the main operating-levers 13 and 14. To assist in the openingand closing movements of the gate, I occasionally fit upon theinner ends of levers 13 and 14 cast-iron caps 13 and 14:, (see Fig. 2,) each weighing six or eight pounds. Thus weighted the shorter arms of the levers are the heavier and the normal position of the weighted ends would be at the bottoms of slots 3 and at. The weights 13 and 14 are not essential, and

may be omitted. Atthe outer ends of the.

as plainly shown.

Extending downwardly from the inner ends of levers 13 let are connecting-rods 17 and 18. These rods are pivotally connected with the levers and by means of bolt 19, pivotally joined with the arm 20. In Fig. 2 the arrangement of the arm and its immediate attachments are most clearly seen. I usually construct the arm of metal to secure advantage of both the momentum due to its weight and the strength of metal, which permits the employment of a relatively-thin arm. Arm 20 is pivoted at its lower end upon bolt 21, and as the sliding or gate portion must pass to one side of the arm it is advantageous that its thickness be reduced as far as practicable. Upon bolt 21 are two tubes or sleeves 22 and 23 of equal length, one on each side of the end of arm 20. Bolt 21 crosses the interval between the main posts, as shown, and the office of the sleeves is to keep the end of arm 20 midway between the posts. To avoid lateral play, which would otherwise interfere with the desired excursion of the arm in one vertical plane, I introduce an extension or side iron 24," having its upper end bolted to the arm and its lower end encircling bolt 21 between sleeve 22 and post 1. This construction has the effect of giving the arm a comparatively-broad bearing upon the bolt and narrowly limiting its objectionable play sidewise. From the upper end of arm a connecting-rod 25 extends to an end piece 26 of the sliding or gate portion proper, pivotallyw. coupling those parts. Of the gate or sliding portion I'term the-- uprights 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 the battens,

' from the main posts.

.movably supported upon grooved wheels 44 and the inclined pieces 31, 32, 33, and 34 between the battensI call the braces. The longitudinal strips are the rails, No. 35 being the top and No. 36 the bottom rail, while Nos. 37 and 38 marktwo of any convenient plurality of intermediate rails secured on the far side of battens and braces, and Nos. 39, 40, and-41 designate such railssecured upon the n'earside of battensvand braces. The construction of the sliding gate as shown in the drawings and thus described Iliave found to. be peculiarly stiff and capable of resisting the twisting and vibrating effect of winds from the side or other directions. It iswell known. that winds of considerable power are of almost continuous occurrence in many parts of the West, and it is essential that a gate structureshould successfully during its opening. and closing movement withstand them.

To the right in Fig. 1 is a fence-post 42, and No. 43 marks a second fence-post, which is situated upon the opposite side of the road The gate portion is and 45, revoluble upon posts 1 and 42. and engaging the lower and ordinarily-beveled edgejof top rail 35. An additional support and directive is the grooved wheel 46, usually a small wheel, on post 42 near the-ground and engaging the ordinarily-beveled lower. edge of the bottom rail 36. In Fig. 1 parts of posts 43 are cut away to show recesses 47 and 48,,into which the extended ends 49 and 50 of rails 37 and 38 enter when the gate is closin'g. These recessesserve partly to guide the closing gate into its correct position when closed; but when the wind is blowing the sliding portion laterally the end must be caught and guided more fully. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal section of post 43 and shows the customary form of the twin guidebrackets 51 and 52. It will be readily understood that even though the end of the sliding gate be swung by the wind considerably out' of its true plane one or the other of the guide-brackets will catch and return it to thecorrect path.. Considering Fig. 1, the opening movement is begun by pulling either hand-rod. The arm 20 rises and by means of connecting-rod 25 starts the gate. A cer- .,.tain momentum is acquired, which, aided by the fall of the metalarm into the position indicated by broken lines on the right of the :main posts, continues and completes the opening movement. Attention is called to the fact that at the termination of both openingand closing movements the ends of the main levers 13 and 14 reach thelower walls-of slots 3 and 4. The movements are thus'definitely jlimited. Furthermore, this 7 construction jamo'unts to an automatic lock by arranging .the parts in such manner that the junction fof arm 20 and rod 25 falls very slightly below a. straight line joining the pivots supporting their other ends.

the gate open without applying the required lifting motion to the arm simply forces thejunction mentioned downwardly and the opening force is resisted proportionately.

rHa'ving thus described my invention;what

I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is' g In a sliding gate, the combination of the twin main posts having longitudinalslots near their unner ends, a sliding. gate passing between said posts, main levers arranged to work vertically in said slots,'an arm pivoted 'at the base of said posts, a bolt 21 serving as the pivotal support of said arm, sleeves 22 and 23 encircling bolt 21 on opposite sides of the pivotedend of said arm, a side iron 24 having its upper end-secured tothe arm and its lower end engaging bolt 21 contiguous to one of said main posts, connecting-rods 17 and 18 joining the ends of the main leversand said arm, and connecting-rod 25 joining said arm and gate, as described.

In testimony whereof'I affix my'signature' in presence of two witnesses. V

ALEXANDER MASON.

Witnesses: A

' A. W. SMITH,

WM. 0. Porrs.

Any effort to force IfO 

